The V&A harp

Dated to the 18th or early 19th Century

Owned by the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, England.

"High Headed" design;
38 strings, longest 107cm

Some have tried to argue that this was the harp of Arthur O'Neill (1734-1818), based on the similarity with the harp in his portrait. However certain details differ, most notably the number of strings. This harp's construction differs from all the other pre-1800 Irish harps in that it has a crossgrained softwood soundboard, and an oblique base allowing it to balance upright in a playing position, both features derived from pedal harp design. This has led some to suggest it dates from the 19th Century, perhaps made by someone without real knowledge of either the Gaelic harp or pedal harp traditions.

References

Simon Chadwick